Apparatus for handling and heating containers



Jan 2, 1945 w. GLADFELTER ETAL 2,366,515

4 APPARATUS FOR HANDLING AND HEATING CONTAINERS Filed Aug. s. 1940 esheets-sheet 1 y/.7. EN NJ wa. .0.. Q o o .o o o o G o o Oo o @AKM o MANmw I If l L. .m N Nw\ Fc QNN\NN Jan. 2, 1945 w. x. GLADFELTER Enr.2,366,515

APPARATUS NOR HANDLING AND HEATING CONTAINERS 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 FiledAug. 3, 1940 Jan. 2, 1945. w. lLfGLADELEjRfEfqAL `2,366,515

APPARATUS 'FOB v HANDLING AND EATING CQNTAINERS e sheets-sheet s Filed.AugQ g l3, *1940 U? fr km2, 1945- w. :..GLADFELTER Erm.

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING AND HEATING' CONTAINERS 6 Sheets-Sheet 44 FiledAug. 3, 1940 g mma/tow.

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Jan- 2, 1945 w. a. GLADFELTr-:R Erm. 2,366,515

APPARATUS F03 HANDLING AND HEATING CONTAINERS Filed Aug. 4s, 1940 esneets-sneet 5 Jan 2,1945 w. l. GLADFELTER l-:rAL 5 2,366,515

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING AND HEATING CONTAINERS,

Filed Aug. s, 1940 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 l 3 rwmbw L GZadjel/'eg 2,

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f Patented Jan. 2, 1945 l ascesi;

APPARATUS non HANDLING AND i i HEATING ooNTAINERs i n Wilde rclaareuerana william A. schmidt, rml.-

adelphia, Pa., assignors -toGrownCnrk Seal Company, Inc., Baltimore,Md., a `corporation ci New York Application August s, 1940, serialNdssoprc 15 oiaims. (ci. leaf-27) present invention relates to apparatusfor handling, coating and treating articles of man u- Afarsturdsuch as`containers. More particularly,

the invention provides apparatus for `coating ^`,with wax or the :likethe interiors of metallic` containers, such as beer cans.

In the manufacture of beer` cans and similar containers, the containersare lined with a waxlike coating material to prevent contact of thecontents of the containers with the metallic :walls thereof. It is ofparamount importance that the lining be continuous and of uniformthickness. It yis also` important that the continuous lining berelatively thinfor the sake o f economy, yet `cover all portions of theinterior surface ofthe `con lcylindrical tainer. `With .containershaving bodies, conicalrupper ends and lbottom end membersdouble-scannedto the bottom ends, it is dei sirable to have an excess .of coatingmaterial at the bottom along the line of the double-seam, to makecertain that theseam iswsealed against the entrance of beer or` the likeinto the folds of the seam."` i `It is also of importance to prevent thecoating material from running or spreading t onto the pouringlip or theneck of the container, since wax at these pointspresents anunattractive, messy appearance and retards sale of the pack aged goods.

It is an object cf` the inventionto provide improved means for handling,coating and treating a line of containers so'as to provide a uniform.continuous, relatively thin coating of `wax-,like

material on the interior surfacesthereof, Itis a further object oftheginvention to provide im- `reduced scale,` taken AFiureZ.

for inverting and reverting i them? `and for transfer-ring them from oneapparatusto the next.

Other and further objects and` advantages of vthe invention wil-1 beapparent `from a considera-` tionof the following description ofthespecic l embodiment of` the `invention shown in the accompanyingdrawings, in which? Figure 1 is a diagrammatic plan apparatus as awhole. y f

`Figure 2 is an enlarged planview, somewhat diagrammatic in characterand `with certainparts removed for the sake of clarity, Vshowing aninfeed transfer table and inverting mechanism. ,i 1 1 Figure `3 is afragmentary, vertical section, on `a Figure i is asimilar verticalsection, with certain parts `added and others omitted, takenon line4-,4,nIFigure2.` f u i Figure 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary verticalsection illustrating the transfer of containers ,to the preheating` ovenconveyor. i

Figure 6 is a vertical lsection throughthe `pref `heating oven.` 1

proved means for settling the wax into thedoubleseams at thebottom endsof the containers and Otherpbject of the invention is to sohandle 1 thecontainers as to prevent the Wax froinrunning over onto the pouring lipor the neck of .tl-.1e`

containers,

. A further .object .of the invention is to preheat .the containers to adesired degree, to prevent pre- :nature cooling and hardening orrhewaxjanq toi facilitate thecoatingoithe surfaces ofthe contenders withthe not `liquid wax-'like material.

It isafurther .object of the invention tofpro-` `vide improvedmea'ns fordraining the excess wax thinnest.

i to provide slight excess adjacent thereto. An-

, .50 fronirthe interior of the containers s0 as to pre, ducev a uniformcoating Iof desired, controlled A further object et trein-ventiel; is toprende improved means for handlms aline `of containers.

Figure '1 is a fragmentary plan view of one of the oven `conveyorchains. `Figure 8 is avertical section take-out mechanism. i Figure `.9a Vfragmentaryplan `view of the apparatus shown in Figure 8.

Figure ll'iis a detail section showing the drive for the dial 0f Figures8 and 9. f i i Figure 11 is a vertical longitudinal section at theentrance end of the wax settling oven, and

Figure 12 General description Although net @mined i@ auch use,thi-'apparams of` the` present intenti@ is adapted te coat with wax, theinteriors of drawn seamlessl containers of the type shown inthe pendingapplication of CallesonV `et al., `Serial *Nof 334,876, illed May. 13,1,940. A line of suehvcontainers l5,

having cylindrical; side ,walls is, t ,conical upper ends il,terminating` in 'necks having crown `finishes I9 at their upper ends and`bottom end members 2li double-.teamed to theirl bottom ends, are `scindiictel by grav-ity down a chute `2i, as shown in Figure 1i and- .2-The imtaiilers` are transffl-J,llfd` 'by `a Nerticallydisnosed 4 dial`22 to' a piuraiuypf uiting brackets '2s .cameaby a `einem 24 trainedabout a pluralityofsprockets hereinalfierdeimedltiririer"their`movementm the `View of the` substantially mime auf adjacent fheidislcharge` end. of the wax` drain oven, showing the .i

is a vertical transverse section through that oven.

machine 3|, where the containers are transferredy to holders associatedwith the latter machine.

The details of construction of the'inside waxing machine 3| are not-shown and described herein, since a machine of the type `Shown in theappli.y

cation of Goebel and Rau, Serial No. 151,158, filed July 2, 1937, may beemployed, preferably in thev modified form shown in the application ofGladfelter and Duhan, Serial No. 348,306, led July having a sprocket 60on its lower end, driven as hereinafter explained.

Each container receiving pocket 50 has a 4plurality of magnetitc plugs6| associated therewith,

to hold the containers in the pockets as the dial l rotates to bring thecontainers to the lowermostv position,l above ,the tiltablevbrackets23,referred to above. AppropriateA stripper' devices, not

shown, cause the containers at this position toV be transferred from thepockets 56 to the pockets associated with the brackets 23, the latterhaving magnetic plugs 62 associated therewith to facilitate the transferand to hold the containers in'the'pocketswhen the brackets assume averti- 29, 1940. Reference is made to those applications for a completedisclosure of a suitable inside coat'- ing machine which may be usedwith the `shown in detail herein.

, At the discharge station 32 ofl the coating machine 3|, the coatedcans are picked up by holders 33 associated 'with a conveyor chain l34which leads them around a sprocket 35 into the entrance end 36 of a Vwaxdrain oven 31. lThe containers move through thisfov'en", around asprocket (not Y devices shown) at the vother end thereof and pass outthrough the discharge opening 38 to a discharge position 39, where theyare released from the holders 33 and rfall by gravity to an inclinedposition intor peripheral pocketsassociated with an outfeed dialMJ,` thelatter being mounted for rotation on an inclined plane. i

The containers are carried around to the lowermost point in the path ofmovement of the dial 40 and are ejected from the pockets thereof andreceived in the'entrance end of a twister'l. The twister is inclineddownwardly, so that the containersroll or slide under theinfluence ofgravity therealong.` During this movement, they are moved from aninclined, neck-down position', as shown at the bottom of Figure 8, to avertical,

cal position, asfhereinafter explained.

The chain 24 carries a plurality of vertically disposed plates 65 towhich the brackets 23 are pivotally mountedI at 66. At the other end ofeach bracket, there is a roller 61 in engagement with a guide rail 63which has an upwardly disposed portion 68a, adapted'to support thebrackets in horizontal position, a downwardly Vinclined por tion 68hwhich permits the bracketsto swing downwardly under the influenceofgravityto a vertical position and another inclined portion 68o whichagain raises the brackets to their horizontal position. At the transferposition, hereinafter explained and as shown in Figure 5, the rollers',

61 are guided in a Xed upwardly facing channel member 69. i Y, l

The chain 24 is trained about four horizontally disposed sprockets 1|),1|, 12, 13, mounted on vertically disposed shafts 10'-'13-,respectively. f The shafts 10, 10' are supported and journalledforrotation in horizontally disposed bridge members 14,'15 having theirends supported upon rods' 16,111 carried in turnby end brackets 18, 13,cenneck-up position, asV shown in Figure' 111'" At the discharge endof'thetwister, the upright containers are deposited upon the upperflight of a conveyor 42 trained for movement througha wax settling oven43, During their passage through this oven, a portion of the wax on theside walls i of the containers ows downwardly under the inuence ofgravity to provide a'slight lexcess adjacent the double-seam at thebottom of'the container, to effectivelyseal the same. Also, the waX onthe side walls and the inner surfaces` of the necks l1 has anopportunity to distribute itself evenly. The containers are delivered atthe discharge end 45 of the settling oven 43 to any appropriate transferdevice or conveyor which carries them through a cooling flight to apacking station or the' like, where thel containers may be placed inshipping cartons or otherwise disyposedof.

"-line under the influence of gravity down achute 2|. At the lower endof the chute, the containers Aare depcfisited, one by one. in thepocketsj of -the Vertically'disposed infeed dial 22, mounted forrotation on a shaft 5|,"jou'rnalledvn bearings 52, 53 carried by theupper ends of vertically disposed shaftsl 54, 55, supported at theirlower ends upon an appropriateba'se 56 (Figure 3)'.` Rotation isimparted to the shaft 5| by spur 4gears 51, 58, lthe latter being fastupon astub shaft 59 trally supported upon posts 80, 8| carried bythebase 59. A sprocket chain 82 is trained about a sprocket on the lowerend of the stub shaft 1,0' and about the sprocket 6D, to drive the shaft59 and the vertically disposed dial 22. i

The shaft 13 (Figures 2 and 4) for the sprocket 13 extends` downwardlythrough a, `transverse bracket 83 and is connected by a coupling 84 toalvertical shaft 85 journalled in bearings 86, 86 carried by aframemember 81. A gear.88 on the shaft 85 is in mesh with-a gear 89 on astub shaft having a gear 9| on its other end, in mesh with a gear 92 ona main drive shaft $3. Hence, the sprocket 13 is positively. driven and,in turn, through the chain ,24, drives the sprockets 1|l, 1|, 12 and,through the `chain 82, the infeed dia122.

Stub shaft 12 for the sprocket 12 is vjoui-nailed in a bracket 95, thebrackets 83` and 95 being supported by vertical posts 96,` 91 and beinginterconnected by rods 98, 99 and a transverse bridge |00. y n f i Fromthe foregoing description it will be apparent that the chain 24 andtheinfeed dial 22 are driven in unison, so that, as 'each pocket 55 in thedial approaches the discharge position, a bracket 23 is in position toreceive a container therefrom. As the chain movesaround and approachesthe preheating oven chain 26, thebrackets 23 move downwardly to thevertical position shown'f'ip Figure 5 and the containers are transferredvto 'the holders 25 associated with the chain 26,*as

hereinafter explained. Y

` The preheatzng oven and conveyor conveyor portion, opposite theinfeed'dial and As shown in Figures 5, 6

container inverting table. The conveyor chai-n 26 is trained. about` `anexterlorly disposed sprocket 29 and, atV the other end of theoven;

about an interiorly` disposed sprocket, notshown. The transfer ofcontainers from the brackets `23 tothe holders 25 is effected betweenthe positions |05 and I 06,\where vthe brackets and holders move alongparallel paths `with their respective chains 24,20. i i and '1,alternate links ofi the chain 26 carry upwardly and `downwardlyprojecting flange members |01, |08, to which are lsecured the holders25,4 integralwithbrackets havingupper and lower blocks |09, secured byscrewsto the flanges |01, |08. Each vlower 1 `block `is extendedydownwardly to `provide aper-` turedbosses- Ill, carrying ,ashaft ||2 anda supporting roller 3, riding upon a track ||4 o associated with anglemembers ||5 and having Side guide stripsll associatedtherewith. The

upper block |93 of the bracket is extended upwardly to provide avertically` disposed sleeve portion |l1 carrying a vertical shaft l |8upon which a horizontally disposed guide' roller IIB is journalled, theroller being` disposed within a bythe oven framework. The` sleeveportion ||1 isivshaped to provide a horizontalbore |.2|, in

` which a `pivoted pin |22 for a can holding 'clamp |23` is mounted, theclamp being urged down-` wardly into clamping relation by a leaf spring|24 disposedunder the Atail |25of the clamp. As shown `in Figure 6, theangleiron base |15 iorgthe .track ||4 extends longitudinally of the.oven beneath both nights ofthe conveyor chain i 26 and is supported -bytransverse members |215,

, supported by hangers |21, secured tothe upper transverse frame members|2181of the oven framei work. i

`The oven comprises insulated bottom ,and side wallsl30, 3| supportedupon a framework |32 andreinforced internally by verticalside framemembers |33 andthe upper, transverse members |28 which support ,thelower tracks ||4,`as pre,-

` viously described, as Well as the guide channels the latter beingsecuredto the lower flanges `of `,angle members |34. i A removable,insulated cover |30', made in sectionsto facilitate access to the oven,closes the `upper end thereof.

`The -oven is preferably maintained at `the de-v siredelevatedtemperature by heated air conducted thereinto by a conduit |35,having a plurality of openings -in thelside walls thereof.

e Meanszfor` adjusting `the sizeof the openings at various pointsthroughout the length of theoven are provided. A-s shown in Figure 6longitudi- `nallypextending `closure plates |31, which may takethe formof angle irons connected bytrans .verse members |30, are adapted to` beraised. and lowered by pins |30 threaded in nuts |40, Welded to `the.transverse mem-bers' |38, v.and vextending downwardly through Sleeves`Il!! in` the floor of 'the oven..` Collars 1.42y 101.1 the pins ,139,prevent relative longitudinal movementoi the pins and gtlle,iloor` ofthe conduit |35.` Hence, when the pins are rotated the closure plates|31 are raised or lowered relative 'to the conduit |35, to control H thedelivery of heated air from the openings `|3i f inthe conduit totheinterior of the oven. e Asshown in Figure `'1, the clamps |23areprovided with downwardly` projectii'ig,` arcuate ribs adapted to engagethe doublefseam 20 of the containers I5. lThetail |25 of each clamp isprovided with an outwardly facing `groove 1146, `adapted to engage the`undersurface `of-a stationary cam,v |41,'-adjaoent thewdlscharge andtransfer positions; As Ythe holders 2,5 rapip roaeli the brackets 23,theclamp |23 is in the raised position shown in` dottedllines in Figure`5, as a i result of the action-of a lowered portion of the cam |41.` Asthe holders and bracketsmovle 'togethen a raised portionpf the cam |421is en-` clamped firmly against the holders 25. Hence,

downwardly facing guide `channel |20, carried ,i

countered thereby enabling thefspring |24 to urge the clamps downwardlytothe full line `position shown in Figure 5, wl'iereupon` the containersare as the brackets movevaway` from ,the` holders, the containers areremoved therefrom and travel i with the holders into and through thepreheating oven, beingtsupported as shown inFigure 6. l

`At the position 30, wherethe containers are The wdr drain oven,conveyorand takeout` o means i As ,stated above, tnecontainers aretransferred f fromthe wax coating machine 3|1 to the holders 33Vassociated with the wax drain oven conveyor l i ble-seams 20 ofthecontainers `in thepockets |50 chain 34 at point 3,2 *(Feure ,11) Sineiheholders `33 associated with the chain 34 `are substantially identical tothe holders 2 5 carried by the. preheeier hailll,f they nood not" befurther.

described. .At the noinththe clamps l2`3 are snapped down uponthe bottomSeems `20` of' the containers in the. wax coating `machine andthereafter move with the wax drain oveincon-` veyQr chain. The Wax drainoven may be. similar in construction tofthe preheating oven, `with theaddition, of appropriate trough means t0 receive the wai; that drainsfrom the containers. As indicated `in Figure 8, the conveyor chain,vV3,4` is t supported upon` abeille;` members 'l5' by rollers H3' andisguided by a channel., member |20', `3,5; u

previously described.`

At the discharge point 30,"the clamps |.231'jare y raised by adownwardlyprojectingportion'` .of a e acampar` |41. Since theholders 33. terminateat their lower ends in frusto-conical inclined ends 33a, disposed` inengagement With the conicalends I of the containers,` when theup-endedbottoms of the oontainersare so released, they fall or tiltoutwardly and downwardly under the influenceof gravity, as showninFigure8, where .they are received in pockets |50 `in the periphery of theoutfeed dial 00.,v The dial is mountedfor rotation on an; inclined:plane and is supported; `by a shaftI ,|5l, iournalled for rotation in vacas..-`

ing |52, carried by a frame |53.` Each pocket |50 has a magnetic plug|54 associated withits bottom,- to` hold tha-containers therein as they`e are rotated, to a position ,below the dial.-` The.

shaft :|51 has 'ol-pinion |55 at `its lower end,` in` a housing lss atthe Iena of the casing |52 and in mesh `'with a -gear, |-51 on a driveshaft |58, whichmay be `connected to thedrive shaft 93, previouslydescribed, `.or may be driven from lthe same or an independent Vsourceof` power.

,.Anrejector spring` lysupported by a@ stationary bracket e ISI, bearsagainst the face of the dial -22 and is :positioned` 4to engagethe-dou-` to `force i the containers `outwardly,therefrom and in'totheupper endt|65 `ofthe twister 4|. i

As `a result of :the construction described,

the drained containers are released at a predetermined point in theirtravel with the wax drain oven conveyor chain, whereupon they fallgently by gravity through an arc of substantially 45, into the pocketsof the outfeed dial. They are held inthe pockets by the magnetic plugs|54 until they are forced outwardly therefrom by the spring ejector,whereupon they swing downwardly into the twister and are carried awayunder the influence of gravity to the settling oven.l

The settling oven and its infeed device As shown in Figures 1, 8, 9 and11, the twister 4| which receives the containers from the dial 40,comprises a plurality of parallel bars Ill), secured together bytransversely arranged strips 1| At the entrance end of the twister, barsIllia are positioned below the side wall of the containers, while barsIlb, Hc are disposed opposite the bottoms and neck ends thereof,respectively. These bars extend downwardly and are bent laterally, sothat the bar Vlb at the discharge position (Figure 11) is below thecontainers while the bars Illia are at one side thereof. Hence, as thecontainers roll or slide down along the Abars Illia, with their bottomsengaging the bars I'Hlb, theyare uprighted, from the inverted, inclined.position represented by the upper can in Figure 8 to the position ofthe-lower can in that iigure and the can in Figure 11.

The bars of the twister terminate adjacent the intake end of the-conveyor 112v in the wax settling oven 43. This conveyor preferablycomprises a plurality of links having plane upper surfacesvfor thereception of the lower ends of the cans, the conveyor being trained formovement through the oven with an upper active flight |15 supported uponguide rails .|16 and a lower inactive iiight |11 therebelow, supportedupon av plate |18. As indicated in Figure 12, guide strips |19 areprovided along the upper active iiight of the conveyor, to preventinadvertent displacement of the containers.

The wax settling oven comprises insulated bottom and side walls |80, |8|and removable insulated cover section |82. A conduit |83 for heated airis disposed interiorly of the oven chamber and appropriate control meansmay be pro-v vided for the delivery of air therefrom.

During their passage through the waxsettling oven, the containers aremaintained yat a sufficiently elevated temperature to enable the wax todistribute itself evenly over the interior .surfaces of thecontainersand vto collect adjacent the double-seams at the bottom thereof, to sealthe same and prevent the contents of the containers gaining access tothe folds of the metal in the seam.

At the discharge end. 45 of the wax settling oven, the containers areremoved by any appropriate means and conveyed to the next point in theline, for instance, to a packing station.

We claim:

l. In combination, a conveyor for moving a line of hollow articlesthrough a preheating oven prior to their delivery to a coating machine,'said conveyor having vertically disposed article hold-V ers thereonadapted to support the articles in inverted position, an infeed conveyortrained for movement adjacent the path of` movement of the holders. aplurality of tiltable brackets carried by the infeed conveyor, means fordelivering a line of horizontally disposed articles to said bracketswhen rin a horizontal position, means for swinging the bracketstoaninverted position as they approach the holders, and means fortransferring the inverted articles to those holders.

2. In combination, a conveyor'trained for movement through a containerpre-heating oven, vertically disposed article holders on the conveyor,an infeed conveyor trained for movementadjacent the path of movement ofsaid holders, a plurality of tiltable brackets carried by the infeedconveyor for swinging movement from a horizontal to a vertical position,a vertically'disposed dial above the infeed conveyor and adapted todeliver a line of horizontally disposed articles to said brackets whenin the horizontal position, means for swinging the brackets from thehorizontal to a vertical position, and means for transferring thearticles from said brackets when in the vertical position to saidvertically disposed holders on the rst-mentioned conveyor.

3. In combination, a conveyor ,trainedl .for movement through an oven orthe like, a plurality of vertically disposed article holders thereon, aninclined gravity chute down which the articles move in horizontalposition, a vertically disposed article receiving dial at the dischargeend of the chute having horizontally arranged peripheral pocketstherein, an endless chain trained for movement on a horizontal path andhaving one flight disposed below the dial and another adjacent the ovenconveyor, tiltable brackets carried by the chain, means maintaining thebrackets in horizontalposition below the dial to receive articlestherefrom, means for swinging the brackets to a vertical position andfor maintaining them in that position during their movement adjacent theoven conveyor, whereby the vertically disposed articles in the bracketsmay be transferred to the vertically disposed holders on the conveyor.

4. Means for'handling and conveying a line of containers, comprising aconveyor trained for movement along a horizontal path and having aplurality of vertically disposed article receiving pockets, clampsadjacent the pockets adapted to hold the articles in inverted position.therein, a

gravity chute down which the articles move in horizontal position underthe influence of grav` ity, a'vertically disposed dial mounted for rota.tion on a horizontal axis below said chute `and having peripheralpockets adapted to receive ar-r ticles from the chute, a conveyor havingtiltable brackets mounted thereon guided for movement inhorizontalposition below the dial to receive articles therefrom and formovement in vertical position parallel to and adjacent thefirst-mentioned conveyor, and means for moving said clamps into clampingrelation to the articles in the brackets to effect transfer of thearticles therefrom `to said pockets.

5. In combination, a `conveyor chain having a plurality ofverticallydisposed pocket members secured thereto, clamps pivoted to thepocket members for vertical swinging movement between anoperativecontainer-clamping position and an inoperative position, means urgingthe clamps downwardly to the former position, a plurality of tiltablebrackets, means for moving the same in horizontal position past acontainer receiving sta-v tion, means for tilting the brackets to avertical position in parallelism with the pocket members on saidconveyor chain, means for moving the brackets in the latter positionwith the pockets, and means for-moving said clamps downwardly intoclamping relation to the containers in the brackets in. thelastfmentioned position to transfer the containers from the brackets tothe pocket members.. N m L or `6. .In;an apparatus ofthe classdescribed, an endless chain trained for movement through an oven"chamber` or the `like and having portions thereof.disposedexterior-1y.`of `the chamber, a

chain supporting track in said chamber, aplurality ofrollers `carried bythe chain andsup- `ported upon said track, pocket forming memberscarried by the chain having surfaces `adapted to engage `the side wallsofthe containers, bottom end engaging clamps carried by the members,meansv for urging the clamps downwardly to e clamp` the containers inthe pocket members against said side wall engaging surfaces, infeed andoutfeed stations adjacent exteriorly disposed portions of the conveyorand means forraising the clamps torelease position'adjacent said sta- 7.A conveyor fora line of containers having cylindrical side walls andbottom end members double-seamed thereto, comprising a horizontallydisposed chain, vertically disposed pocket memfa bers supported atone'side of certain of the links `and having surfaces adapted to engagethe container side walls, pivotally mounted bottom end engaging clampscarried by said members, and means for urging the` same downwardly toclamp `the containers against said surfaces.

8. A conveyor for a line of containers having cylindrical `side wallsand bottom end members double-seamed thereto, comprising a horizontally`disposed chain, downwardly facing "rollers disposed beneath and carriedby certain of thelinks journal means,` a ,y supporting `rollerjournalled thereon, apair of vertically disposed arcuate wings adaptedto engage the side `wall of a can,

upper journal means, an upper guide roller journalled thereon, and apivoted clamp mounted for swinging movement into engagement with thebottom end of a can toclamp the same against said wings. y

ll2. A conveyor adapted to support, in inverted position, a line ofcontainers having cylindrical side walls and bottom end members securedthereto,.comprising a chain, upwardly zand downwardly projecting flangesadjacent one side of certain of the links of the chain `and container`carrying assemblies secured to said flanges, each assembly comprising abracket secured to the i flanges and` having avertically disposedarcuate of said chain for supporting the same, vertically i disposedpocket members supported at one side of certain of the links and havingsurfaces adapted to engage the container side walls,y pivotally mountedbottom end engaging clamps carried I by said members, and means forurging the same downwardly to clamp the containers against saidsurfaces. f a

9. A conveyor for a line of `containers having surface on the opposite`sideof the chain adapted toengagea container `side wall,jo`urnal meansat the upper andylower ends of the brackets, a

`guide roll on` the upper journal and a supporti ingrollon the lowerjournal, and a clamp carried e by said bracket and adapted to engage,the bottom of a container to urge the side wall thereof into engagementwith'said arcuate surfaces.

13. In combination, a conveyor trained for movement along asubstantially horizontal path and having holders. associated therewithfor holdf` ing containers, such as" beer cans, in inverted,

neck-down position, `a .discharge station including meansfor releasingthe containers from the holders and for causing them to tip laterally Vtherefrom, `a transfer dial mounted for rotation cylindrical side wallsand` bottom end@ members i double-seamed thereto, comprising ahorizontally4 disposed chain, downwardly facing rollers disposed beneathand carried by certain of the links of said] chain for supporting thesame, vertically disposed `pocket members carried byV said links andhaving surfaces adapted to engage the container side walls, pivotallymounted bottom end `engaging clamps carried bysaid members, means forurging the same downwardly to clamp the containers against saidsurfaces, `and a plurality of upper guide wheels carried by said members`1 above said chain. y

. Y 10.` A conveyor for containers having cylindrical side walls andbottom end members `secured thereto, comprising la chain and'a pluralityof container holding assemblies, each assembly comprising abrackethaving upper and lower blocks secured to the chain, verticallydisposed, arcuate on a downwardlyand outwardly inclined plane adjacentthedischarge station and having pockets in its periphery adapted toreceive the containers as they are tipped laterally from the hold-L ers,means for rotating the dial to move the containers to a positionunderneath the same in inclined relation, a second conveyor `below thedial, and means for stripping the `inclined containers from the dialpockets and for positioning them on thelas't-mentioned conveyor inupright position. 14.,Apparatus for handling and conveying `a line ofcontainers, such as beer cans, comprising a chute down which thecontainers roll in horizontal position, a dial journalled cna horizontalaxis and rotating in a vertical plane and having` horizontally disposedperipheral pockets adapted to receive the containers from the chute, aconveyor below the dial having a plurality of tiltable bracketsconnected thereto, means for holding the brackets in horizontal positionas they pass beneath thedial to receive, containers from` the `pocketstherein, a second conveyor trained for movement in` parallelism with aportion of the first-mentioned conveyor and having holders associatedtherewith adapted tosupport the containers in vertical, inverted,neck-down position,`

means for swinging the brackets from the horizontal position to avertical position` and for holding them in that position as they movewith said holders, whereby the containers in vertical,

urging the clamp into engagement with a con` tainer to urge the sameagainst said surface.`-

11. A l'conveyor .adapted to move, in inverted position, afline of canshaving cylindrical side `inverted position may be transferred from the`brackets to the holders.

15. A conveyor for a line of'ccntainers having cylindrical side walls,conical walls adjacent one of their ends and bottom end members doubleseamed to their other ends,` comprising a hori- Walls` and` ,bottomendi, members seamed thereto, said; conveyor comprising a chain` `havingupwardly and` downwardly projecting flanges carried by` certain links'thereof, and can holders secured tothe flanges,` each comprising lowerzontally disposed chain, vertically disposed pocket members supported bycertain links of the chain and having vertically disposed surfacesadapted V to engage the container side Walls and transverse abutmentsurfaces positioned to prevent vertical sliding movement ofthecontainers relative to the lfirst-mentioned surfaces, pivotally mountedclamps carried by the pocket members for erigaging the ends of thecontainers,r and means for urging the same to clamp the containersagainst said vertically disposed surfaces and said abut- 5 mentsurfaces.

